Gathering Art Supplies for Art Therapy
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is a mental health profession in which professional art therapists facilitate healing with art processes and materials. Art therapy can benefit people of all ages and in a variety of settings. Learn more about art therapy and its benefits in the previous blog post.
What supplies do I need before starting art therapy?
Your art therapist will communicate what supplies you need. Typical materials may include markers, crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels, collage materials, and paint.
“Wait, that sounds expensive… I don’t know if I can afford art therapy.”
You are not alone. There are a variety of options when it comes to gathering your art materials. We’ll cover that next!
Where can I find art supplies?
You can research options in your local area, but ideas may include:
craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joann’s (always check for coupons and sales ahead of time!)
garage/yard sales
art supply thrift stores for cheap or free supplies (in Nashville, TN we have Smart Art + Craft Supplies and Turnip Green Creative Reuse.)
ask friends and relatives if they have any old craft supplies they don’t use anymore (they might be glad to share supplies that are taking up closet space!)
don’t forget that materials such as newspapers, cardboard, wrapping paper, magazines, empty paper towel rolls, egg cartons, and tissue paper can all be used as art materials!
Will my art therapist provide art supplies?
If you’re going to art therapy in-person, your art therapist will most likely provide supplies. Online art therapy, however, may be navigated in multiple ways. Your art therapist might mail you a supplies kit or you may be responsible for collecting materials. Typically, your art therapist will be able to work with what you have (remember, we’re creative!), so don’t worry about having all the art supplies.
See answers to Frequently Asked Questions about art therapy and learn more about group and individual art therapy.
